The Republican journal., 1887-09-15
The Fruits of Protection.

The Herald, in a recent editorial paragraph.
said:
''>ome weeks since Il correspondent of the
Herald inquired AZ to the value of the estate
| which Mr.. Washington {. DclauW, the great
| Indiana class manufacturer. had left as the
| fruits OF the long protection his business had
| enjoyed at the hands OF the Government. 4
| contest over the will that he made now brings
out the statement that the value of his estate is
| S9o0O00O 1t seems that there We're provisions
| in the will for the continuance of this enor-
nous practical subsidized monopoly, and the
| people of New Albany are naturally interested
| III Its beng sustained; vet it is probable that
division of the business and a lessening of its
profits would be of more advantage to the ma
| tion generally"
The foregoing is fair specimen of number
of paragraphs which have been published in
the Herald the New lork Evening Post and
other free trade papers since the death of Mr..
DePauw. the purpose of the publication in
every instance being to hold up the deceased
| manufacturer as atypc of graspng monopolistS
who grow rich at the public cost. The tone of
many of these paragraphs has been SO bitter as
to suggest personal vindictveneS>, and it has
seemed at times as if some person who cher
ished an antipathy toward Mr.. DePauw had
chosen this method of writing him down"
The facts in this case are perfectly simple and
they might easily have been secured by any of
these free trade assailants of Mr.. DePauw, if
they had not been more dcsirOus of making Il
point than Of aScertaining and publishing the
truth About fifteen years ago Mr.. DePauw,
who was then very wealthy man. established
his glass works at New Albany, Ind. His OBJ
ject was to build up an industry which could
compete successfully with foreign manufacture
ers, especially in the line of plate class. lie
invested millio dollars or more in the
plant" The first year, as we learn from Mr.
j.. }. Brown, of New Albany, who was
friend of Mr.. DePauw, aud personally familiar
with the details of his business, he lost $50 900:
the second year Sl35, ,000; and so on, every year
for seven years. the great industry netted him
a heavy loss. The importers of plate glass
formed 4 combination against him. Mr.. De-
Pauw. having ample means aud an indomitabc
purpose, held on. and after seven years the
tide turned. For the last eight years the
works have been run at profit; but this profit
has not averaged 1--WE per cent. upon the value
of the output. Mr.. Brown assures lis that
there is 10 question that if Mr.. Dcl'auw had
invested his capital at per cent. interest, if-
teen years AGO, bis estate would have been
larger than il was.
Vet this is the man whom the free trade pa
pcr> have been holding up Is Il kind of "robbcr
haron'-o whose fortune has been made by
an ini'iuitous monopoly. Mr.. Dcpauw was il
man Of large bcncvolcnce. lie gave literally
to educational and religious objects he found
cd a university which bears his name, and his
relations with his employees We're always kind
Iy and just. He gave regular employment to
ten or twelve hundred men. He built up an
industry WhlcN Is one OF the chief elements in
the prosperity of thriI inc city He won for
hlS product a reputation equal to that of any
glass OF foreign make let the Herald has Il
confused idea that the nation would somehow
have been better oil if this industry had never
been established and if forcign-made plate
glass had still monopoly of our market If
that man is henefactor who makes two blades
OF grass grow where but one crew before. it
would seem that the men who risk their capital
Ill buii'lIn.. up new industries, who employ
thousands of workmen, and who may almost
be said to create great cities deserve some con-
>dcrat!on. The free trade papers which have
made ii Their occupation to carp at Mr. De.
PAW, and have indignantly misrcprcSented
and fal,lcd his business, show how totally ull-
American is their >pilt. and how antagoni>tic
to the best interests of the country would be
the triumph Of their ideas. Boston journal